AMN
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin delivered a standout performance at the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, defeating Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo in a thrilling seventh-round encounter to move into joint first place. Sarin now shares the lead with German GM Matthias Bluebaum, who secured a crucial win over India’s Arjun Erigaisi. Both players sit atop the standings with 5.5 points.
In contrast, it was a rough day for reigning World Champion D Gukesh, who suffered his third consecutive loss—this time to 16-year-old Turkish prodigy Ediz Gurel. Following earlier defeats to Abhimanyu Mishra (USA) and Nikolas Theodorou (Greece), Gukesh’s struggles continued despite the tournament’s rest day. A costly endgame error sealed his fate, leaving him with just three points from seven rounds. With only four rounds remaining, Gukesh must win all his remaining games to have any chance of a comeback.
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